Greed
by AngstyBob
Summary: Will Bella's nightmare come true? Spoliers if you haven't read "Breaking Dawn".
1. Chapter 1

**Greed**

**Chapter One**

Bella can't run any faster, yet somehow the child-size figure is gaining on her. Renesmee is on Bella's back, holding on tightly. Bella's legs are a blur as she speeds through the forest. She chances a look behind her and sees the small, dark, hooded cloak is closer. It appears to be floating above the forest floor, effortlessly closing the distance between them. Bella thinks she can see red, glowing eyes beneath the hood.

Bella turns her head back around, but she is too late. She crashes head-first into a massive pine. The force of the collision topples the centuries-old tree, and flings Renesmee off Bella's back and into the forest. Bella is left lying on the ground, momentarily stunned.

This brief delay is all the pursuing figure needs. In a flash it is upon Bella, tiny hands clamped to her neck. The small body seems to weigh a thousand pounds. Bella is unable to move. She tries to call to Renesmee, but her voice has been choked off.

The dark hood falls back and Bella sees that her attacker is Jane, who smiles, revealing a row of tiny, pointed teeth.

"The child is ours now," Jane says, licking her fangs as her mouth moves toward Bella's throat. Suddenly Bella hears Renesmee calling, "Momma? Where are you, momma?"

Bella sits up in bed with her fist in her mouth, stifling a scream. Edward has his arms around her immediately.

"The nightmare again?" he asks. Bella nods. She can't stop shivering.

"It's only a dream," Edward reminds her, stroking her hair. But the words offer little comfort. They both know that what Bella has seen in her dreams has been know to come true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"I'm calling a family meeting," Edward said.

Bella was terrified. "No! We can't involve anyone else in this!"

"Bella," Edward said, "you and Renesmee are _my_ family, and you're also part of the Cullen family." Edward put his arm around Bella and pulled her close. "What affects you affects us all."

"But for all we know this is just a nightmare – nothing more. Why get everyone all worked up over something that might turn out to be nothing?"

Edward smiled, but it was a sad smile. "We all know how things turned out last time you had a dream," he reminded her. "Better safe than sorry."

Bella couldn't argue with that.

The Cullens were all gathered in their house's big family room. Carlisle and Esme sat in the love seat. Alice, Jasper and Emmet were on the couch. Rosalie sat in a chair by herself. Jacob was there too, of course. He sat on the floor. And Edward and Bella stood. When Bella had finished telling her nightmare, all eyes naturally went to Alice.

"I haven't seen anything," she said. "But that doesn't mean it can't happen."

Carlisle stood up and began pacing the floor. "Let's say for the sake of argument that Bella's dream is a glimpse into the future," he said. "Why would Jane be after her?"

"Jealously?" Edward answered at once. "She was pretty upset over not being able to break through Bella's shield the last time we met."

"True," Carlisle said, "but if Bella's vision is accurate, Jane comes alone, which seems most unlikely."

"Perhaps she's had a break with the Volturi?" Esme suggested. "You saw how divided they were when it came to dealing with Renesmee." At the mention of Renesmee's name, Jacob shivered, remembering the events in the clearing not long ago.

Carlisle pondered that. "That' a possibility," he said.

"I don't see that we have any other choice but to take this threat seriously," Emmet said. "And if we're going to do that, we need to send a scouting party to Italy to try and find out what's going on over there."

"We'll go," Alice and Jasper said in unison. It would've been funny if the situation wasn't so serious.

Esme seemed about to protest, but Carlisle took her hand. "Remember what a wonderful job Alice did for us last time?" Esme was clearly still concerned, but nodded slowly. "They'll be fine."

"It's settled then," Edward said. "The next step is to figure out how we're going to defend ourselves – and protect Bella and Renesmee."


End file.
